Disclaimer: No right, just responsibility- to keep Snape in character while he's experiencing life events that aren't dreamt of in Jo's philosophy of him.
Don't Call Me Daddy
Chapter 13- Sleep Deprivation
A faint sound nudged Severus toward consciousness. It started in low, and then it began to grow. Within moments, his son's soft cry became a wail for attention. Jackknifing to an upright position in bed, Septimus' jolted-awake father reassured,
"I'm coming."
Padding over to the bassinet, Snape pushed back long black strands and then muttered a sanitization spell for his hands before attending to his son. Lorelei had joked the previous evening that in the last three days, he'd used the spell so frequently that if he kept it up, their child would think it was his name. Severus tolerated the levity at his expense. His wife was undoubtedly giddy due to lack of sleep. The unprecedented amount of smiles that curved the wizard's lips was attributed to sleep deprivation also.
Swiftly changing the infant's nappy whilst remembering to point a certain part down to prevent being squirted again, the man gazed at his son and marveled at his alertness. In the dim light, round little eyes focused intently on his face. Adult masculine lips turned up at the corners. Infant ones did likewise. The new father gently picked up the boy who was now smacking tiny lips. Cradling Septimus against his shoulder, Severus turned to the bed. He stared in shock.
Sitting up, Lorelei was gazing down at her chest with a horrified expression.
"Oh my gods, what's wrong with them?"
Unaccountably, he laughed. Prudently cutting off the misplaced humor after seeing his wife's lips turning down in the same way their baby's was currently doing, he said with as much equanimity possible,
"Your milk's come in."
She snapped,
"Well I didn't think the breast fairy had paid a visit." Unappreciative of the heroic way he repressed amusement, Lorelei pulled down a nursing flap and wailed, "Bloody hell, they're huge! How much is Ari supposed to drink? Liters?"
His bark of laughter brought a reluctant smile. Holding out her arms for the baby, the mother took the now fretful child and began to nurse him. Sitting on the bed, rubbing his thumb over the sole of a tiny foot, Severus repeated,
"Ari?"
Fine eyes bestowed an entreating look,
"It's short for Aragorn. I'll call the baby Septimus in public, but babies need nicknames."
He arched a brow,
"The way children need pets?"
His sardonic tone was disregarded. The siren beamed,
"Yes, exactly!"
Ari…Septimus…made a spluttering sound. Lorelei looked down and gasped,
"Good gods, it's like he's drinking from a Muggle fire hose! What should I do?"
Noting that the other side had let down, Severus disengaged his protesting son from the left breast and transferred him to the right, nodding,
"There, that's better."
They shared a smile over the transformation from frantic rooting to content nursing. After their son had fallen asleep, Snape carried him back to his bassinet. Lorelei's wry smile when he followed her into the bathroom and watched her remove the soaked nursing gown changed into a peal of laughter when he imitated her cousin Dickie and smirked,
"I want to touch Lorelei's gi-normous…"
By the end of the first week at home with his wife and child, Severus had fallen into a routine. During the day, he kept friends and family from over-stimulating the baby. He also shared in Septimus' care, although nappy changes were oft times preceded by use of the olfactory inhibitor. At night, he took turns getting up to tend the baby. After the first few days of adrenaline induced energy, he found himself taking naps along with Lorelei and the babe. Sleep had become a commodity more precious than gold and more savored than firewhisky. Even so, at least once a day the new father would carry his son into the lounge and hold him while sitting in a cushy chair. During the moments of mutual contemplation, Snape felt that he and Septimus were forming a unique bond.
Friday evening, after their child had been changed and fed, Severus decided it was time to show Lorelei his and Septimus' favorite game. Sitting on the sofa with the infant propped in his hands, the wizard told his wife,
"Watch closely"
Bending down until his face was in optimal viewing range, the man raised his eyebrows. Septimus copied the action. Lorelei gushed,
"Oh Severus, that's adorable!" Leaning over, she gooed, "You're clever like daddy, aren't you, Ari? Yes you are you beautiful, amazing, baby boy."
The child's lips turned up like his doting mother's. His devoted father's turned down. After a moment, tiny lips followed suit. Lorelei laughed nervously,
"Heh…Look at that, Ari's doing it again." When Severus continued to stare impassively at her, she muttered, "I know, I know, don't call you daddy." Kissing downy black hair that retained its newborn fullness, the Siren stood and huffed, "Fine, have our son introduce us to his little friends as mum and Father!"
Her flounce out of the room was halted by a piercing cry. The babe had attempted sucking on his fist and found it lacking. His little face was red. Lips trembling more than her son's, Lorelei returned to lift the boy. For the first time since Septimus had been born, she retreated into the nursery to feed the infant. For several minutes, Severus attempted to read a text he had placed on a lounge table in the ludicrously optimistic hope that he would have spare time to read it. His mind refused to comprehend the words. He could only think of the two sequestered in the other room. Finally, he tossed down the text and strode toward the nursery. Halting in the doorway, he asked,
"When did the paintings become enchanted?"
Around the room, seals played, rainbow fish swam in schools, sea snakes entwined, and a Kraken climbed onto a rock to kiss a mermaid. Wiping her cheeks with shaky fingertips, Lorelei replied huskily,
"Albus did it while waiting for Septimus to arrive, for a present."
"Ah"
He walked into the room, watching silently as his wife lovingly tended their child. Switching the infant boy to the other breast, she resumed staring at the wall where the Kraken was now playing with the mermaid's hair. Crossing his arms, Severus broke the tense silence by admitting,
"I don't have pleasant memories associated with the term 'daddy'."
Lorelei's face immediately turned, full of sympathy,
"No?"
A brief, bitter smile played across the wizard's mouth. Stepping closer, he shook his head.
"I made the mistake of calling my father that once."
Her expression became tender. Severus knew that she had forgotten her own hurt in the need to understand and comfort him. It was yet another gift he didn't deserve but cherished. Kneeling beside the rocker, he glanced up into liquid dark eyes before focusing on those of his son. Septimus' were closed. The little mouth became slack before abruptly latching on once more. Reaching to hold a tiny, clenched fist, Snape began,
"My mother kept me out of my father's way, except before bedtime, when I would be taken up to his study. After making us wait until he finished with whatever paper or artifact took precedence, Sebastian would acknowledge me with a question or two and then send me off to bed." His fingers began stroking the babe's arm.
"That sounds Victorian."
His laugh was short and humorless.
"Yes, Adolphus Sebastian Snape believed that children should be seen and not heard."
"Then he was the ass, not you."
Half-smiling, Severus reminded,
"My name is Alexander Severus Snape, and unfortunately, I too can be an ass." A quick look showed that Lorelei was about to object. An upraised brow stifled her protest. He said ruefully, "I demonstrated character flaws incontrovertibly tonight. Stubborn pride and a tendency to lash out- just like my father."
"You're nothing like your father!"
He clasped her hand and brought it to his lips. Holding tight to her fingers and her love, Severus continued with his explanation,
"My father made an important discovery, the remains of a Roman villa, when I was four. A representative of the Wizarding Archeological Society came to register his claim. My mother, unaware of the man's presence, brought me to the study at the customary time." Unable to hold her gaze, his dropped to infant feet ensconced in the exact pair of booties he'd once carried in his pocket. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, although his words were not humorous. "I had made a momentous discovery of my own that day. A four leaf clover… I rushed into the study with my find, holding it out and calling in childish enthusiasm, 'look at this, daddy!' Her fingers gently squeezed his. Tonelessly, he finished, "My father curtly ordered me out of his sight. Later, I was…severely disciplined…for embarrassing him in front of a distinguished guest and warned that a repetition would warrant even harsher punishment."
"I'm so sorry."
Her voice was thick with tears. Nodding stiffly, he took the sleeping baby and said gruffly,
"I'll put him back in bed."
The warm, soft weight of his son eased the tightness in his throat and chest. Placing Septimus on his back in the bassinet, the father bent and brushed his lips across a rounded cheek. Straightening, he turned to see Lorelei disrobing. She began unfastening the buttons on his shirt. Noting his arched brow, she said lovingly.
"The books say skin to skin comforts best."
He wasn't an infant, but he was comforted nonetheless. Lying in the darkness, Severus whispered, "I would not object to being called 'dad'." Her arms tightened around him, and for a record three hours, the Snape family slept.
The end of Easter Holiday brought an end to the Potions Master's idyll with his wife and child. If his nights were not broken by Septimus' numerous awakenings, the professor might've had enough energy to take his displeasure out on his students. As it was, he merely directed the fourth year Hufflepuffs looking as though they had no fond memories of their time in his class during first year,
"You will find the directions on the board and the ingredients in the cupboard. Begin."
Sitting at the desk perusing the notes his wife had jotted next to student marks, thin lips quirked. Even the worst students had comments phrased in uplifting ways. One example in particular caught his eye. Sardonically amused, he read, "F. Gump inadvertently drank a beaker of Wit-Sharpening potion, to no effect. Next year, he'll have to take a less exacting course. I'll miss Forrest's sunny attitude and his charming turns of phrase. My favorite is 'You and Professor Snape go together like peas and carrots'."
The sound of a throat being nervously cleared brought the wizard's attention to a girl at a table in the front. He frowned at her.
"Yes?"
She gulped and said,
"Uhm…Headmaster Dumbledore announced at the Feast that Professor Lorelei had a boy. Do…do you have any pictures?"
The rest of the class hushed expectantly. Normally, Snape would've deducted house points for unwanted interest in his personal affairs. Blinking eyes that burned from insufficient rest, the professor decided to be magnanimous. Taking the latest picture of Septimus out of his pocket, he used a projection charm to enlarge and manifest the image on a side wall. Students turned to watch the incredibly handsome infant raise and lower miniscule brows, curve his mouth, and perform his newest feat- sticking out the tip of a tiny tongue. Across the room, a unanimous expression was heard.
Awww…
Disengaging the spell, Severus reminded, perhaps a bit more amiably than was his custom,
"If you expect credit for today's work, test flagons must be labeled and placed on my desk by the end of class."
In the back, a boy commented,
"Merlin, has Snape changed."
The professor's eyes fixed on the insolent youth. His lips curled in a sneer.
"Ten points from Hufflepuff for talking out of turn."
His mouth curved in satisfaction when another boy muttered,
"Or not."
By the end of his second week of full time teaching, Severus was heartily glad that his wife would resume her schedule next fall. He had grown accustomed to the level of competency and respect displayed by his advanced students. Most first through fifth years only took Potions because the course was required, and the difference in attitude showed. How Lorelei could take joy in transforming ineptitude into rudimentary skill and consider inspiring meager interest in potions a worthy challenge was beyond him. It must be her Persephone nature.
Feeling like Hades looking forward to his wife returning to resume greeting new arrivals to the underworld, Snape dismissed his last class on Friday and strode quickly toward his quarters. Inside the lounge, Lorelei had removed the low center table and lay on her side playing with Septimus on a quilt. His wife wore a tank with shorts and had pulled her hair into a high ponytail. He frowned. She'd better not have been doing more of those crunching things she deemed necessary to regain tone. Health was more important than vanity. His son wore only a nappy. Taking off his teaching robes, Severus draped them over a chair and uttered a sterilizing spell. Feminine, bare toes nudged his thigh when the wizard knelt on the floor.
"Here's the oil. Our baby's been looking forward to his massage."
Raising a brow as he took the Siren Magic Baby Oil, thin lips curved in amusement.
"How do you know?"
Lorelei giggled, which spoiled her lofty explanation,
"Ari's been sticking out his tongue. He only does it for you, ergo he was communicating that he wanted dad to hurry home."
Unwilling to argue logic that was so gratifying, Severus nodded and poured a little oil into his hands. Rubbing to warm the oil and his skin, he looked into his son's eyes. They had darkened from newborn blue into midnight black and shone with intelligence. Pleased with the way Septimus grabbed at his hands, the father went through motions that had now become second nature. Starting beneath small ribs, he used two fingers in a firm, gentle slide down the right side of the rounded abdomen to the hip joint, tracing the letter 'I'. Next, he stroked across the baby'smiddle from the left to the right, making the long side of the letter 'L'. On the right side of the abdomen, Snape used a short, downward stroke to finish the 'L'.
The final letter the wizard traced was an upside down 'U'. On the left side of Septimus' stomach, the man stroked up from the baby's hipbone. He then moved his fingers across the top of the little belly before stroking down the right side. After he had traced the letters, Severus began massaging plump little arms, saying,
"The letters are for you to remember that I love you."
Rosebud lips turned up at the corners. He was amazed at how his son's smallest gestures tugged at his heart and created such a feeling of contentment. Even when Septimus began to fret, it made his father smile. Snape changed the baby and then handed him to Lorelei to nurse while he took a shower. Rinsing off the day's irritations along with the faint aroma of potions ingredients, he smiled when his wife joined him under the spray. While they were toweling off, he said silkily,
"Don't get dressed. I feel the need to demonstrate the complete range of my skills as a masseuse."
Moistening her lips, Lorelei replied huskily,
"As long as I get to return the favor…"
Severus agreed while he reached for a bottle of exotic oil. Turnabout was fair play, after all.
A/N: Chapters are 'like a box of chocolates. You never know' what reference to a favorite story or film will be inside. One of the many perks of writing fanfiction... :D Will there ever be a chapter in this fic without said reference or a display of affection? Of course not! LOL Special thanks to Queen of the Sacred Flames for giving me the idea of having the paintings in the nursery be enchanted. What would I do without brilliant reviewers? I never want to find out! I found the baby massage at babycenter . com, and thought the I, L, U was so cute that I had to use it!